House Bill 1425 Summary

• Allows attorneys licensed in any U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or District of Columbia to serve as judge advocates in the Arkansas National Guard if approved through standard accession, interstate transfer, or provided by the federal government or another jurisdiction.

• Permits judge advocates not licensed in Arkansas to practice military law while on active duty under Title 10 or Title 32 of the United States Code, or while on state active duty status in accordance with Arkansas Supreme Court rules.

• Authorizes judge advocates certified to practice before military courts to serve as military judges, trial counsel, defense counsel, or special victims' counsel regardless of their licensing state.

• Transfers sentencing authority in general and special court-martial trials from court members to the military judge, with the judge's sentence becoming the official court-martial sentence.

• Changes court-martial announcement procedures so that judges sitting alone announce separate sentences for each charge and specification, rather than a single combined sentence.